DISCIPLINE AND DEVOTION

Discipline and Devotion, kissing cousins, best friends and the cornerstones and pillars to making any self-improvement plan, business or relationship work.

I have grown to believe that one does not work without the other. You have to be devoted to not only the outcome of what you are doing but to the process of it.

It’s not enough to want something; wanting is not devotion.

The dictionary describes devotion as commitment, enthusiasm and dedication. You don’t see the word “desire” anywhere in there.

You may in fact desire something, a new job, to lose 25 pounds, a loving supportive partner, to shed the emotional baggage and poor habits you have been carting around like a mule your entire life; but desiring things and being devoted to fixing them, hanging in there, doing the heavy lifting, and often, more often than not, having to wait for the desired results are two different things.

I think people often mix up desire and devotion. Devotion is hanging in there when the things we desire are not readily available. Devotion is also, believing in ourselves, in our potential and in our higher power when there is no real evidence they exist at the moment.

That is devotion. Devotion is also prayer.

A type of devotion can be summed up in our second affirmation.

I Don’t Know How To Do This But Something Inside Me Does

Devotion is not taking no for no, but no as not now, or no as there is something better out there for me. I will be devoted to not giving up

Devotion is believing that with hard work (discipline) you can accomplish amazing things. You can achieve what you set out to achieve. But you must be devoted, to yourself, your dreams and your goals. You must be devoted, you cannot just desire.

Desire is to want – devotion is to never give up. It is to find a way. To keep on keeping on. Pick your cliché.

It’s to understand as the late Randy Pausch said, “The walls are not there to keep you out, but to show you how badly you want inside.”

So where does discipline come in? Discipline is action. Discipline is the act of working towards what you want. Discipline is the behavior that proves the devotion.

You do, therefore you are devoted. Discipline is not giving up. Discipline is showing up, showing up at the gym, showing up for your job, not giving into impulses but controlling yourself and delaying the moments gratification in order to achieve the results you want

Someone wrote in and asked me how to deal with disappointment when not getting results despite a diligent, committed effort.

My answer would be – How committed is committed? The universe does not work with a stopwatch. Though as humans we tend to do exactly that. OK, universe I have been committed to this for seventeen weeks and what do I have to show for it? Bupkus. You’ve let me down so I’m going out and proving you right by giving up.

Devotion does not run on a schedule, a calendar or a timer. If it did it would not be devotion. Just like if we had the answers we would not be called upon to trust.

You are devoted to being disciplined and you are disciplined because you are devoted. When you start to falter, stop and ask yourself, how devoted am I to this? And then crank up the discipline a few notches.

Now Available. The book combines the knowledge Paul has gained in the twenty-four years he has spent working in the recovery movement, healing both himself and helping others to heal and Tracey's lifelong quest for peace and a daily routine to get her through the ups and downs of life.